Whistleblower ✓

28 | clear skies

On Tuesday, about fifteen seconds before Nick started an absolutely riveting lecture on pornographic Peruvian pottery and Greek brothel murals, Bodie arrived to class. I expected him to make his way down to the spot where most of the football team was sitting together, but instead, he dropped his backpack and sunk down into a seat three rows from the back—directly across the aisle from where Andre and I were.

Naturally, I started running through every plausible reason he'd have for choosing the closest open seat to me.

Hadn't we agreed we were good (whatever that meant)? Weren't we done?

When Nick finally powered off the projector and closed his laptop with a reminder to finish reading chapter eighteen before Thursday's lecture, I felt like I'd just chugged three cups of black coffee.

On edge. Jittery. Needed to pee, just a bit.

"Damnit," Andre mumbled beside me, "What was the last slide? I was working on my calligraphy."

I glanced over at his notebook, where he'd written—in devastatingly beautiful penmanship—fuck bitches get money.

"Um... sorry, I zoned out."

I slid my own notes into my backpack (before Andre could see that I hadn't written down anything substantial in the last hour and a half) and popped up out of my chair.

In the same moment, Bodie stood from his and stepped into the aisle, blocking my escape route.

"Hey," he said.

My heartbeat said it's go time.

"Hi," I said.

"I was hoping we could have a quick team meeting."

I told myself it was relief, not disappointment, that made my shoulders sag.

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

Andre cleared his throat behind me. I scooted to the side, so he and everyone else in our row could get around me, but he stopped at my side to glance pointedly at Bodie, then back at me. I didn't like his smile. It was the smile of someone who was reading too much into things.

"Catch you later, Cates," Andre called over his shoulder as he left.

"I'll see you—see you soon," I flubbed.

Then I turned back to Bodie.

"How's Hanna?" he asked.

"She survived."

Bodie waited for me to elaborate. I didn't, so the two of us just stood side-by-side in silence, shuffling back and forth in the aisle to stay out of everyone's way, until we caught Ryan and Olivia on their way to the doors.

"Yooo!" Ryan greeted, with more elation than the situation called for. "Squad's all here!"

"Hey, man," Bodie greeted, indulging him in a fist-bump. "I'm sorry I didn't show up at the library last week. I had this meeting with my coach and—"

"Don't worry about it," Ryan said.

This did nothing to ease the pinched expression of guilt on Bodie's face.

"Can we meet tomorrow? Maybe five, if that's not too late?"

"Works for me," Olivia said. Ryan nodded in agreement.

Bodie looked to me, eyes bright with hope.

So I said, "I'll be there."

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